Cuts hurt HIV/AIDS support group

Sierra HOPE, a nonprofit group that helps people suffering from AIDS and HIV, is reeling from recent federal and state budget cuts.

In all, the group has seen over a third of its budget slashed for the current fiscal year, said its director Jerry Cadotte, including $62,000 in state cuts and $42,000 in federal cuts. Last year, the group’s budget was just under $300,000.

The state cuts largely came via the governor’s line-item veto power earlier this year. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made the cuts and many others to deal with a then-projected $26 billion budget deficit.

Sierra HOPE’s services are being cut and its four staffers — including Cadotte — are now all part-time workers as a result of the budget reductions.

Sierra HOPE (Health Opportunities, Programs and Education) provides home visits, transportation and other services to those suffering from AIDS, the end stage of HIV infection. The goal, Cadotte said, is to help AIDS sufferers remain at home rather than ending up in a nursing facility.

Sierra HOPE, which is headquartered in Angels Camp, serves Tuolumne, Calaveras and Amador counties. The group, formed in the early 1990s, has an average of 40 clients in a given year. Cadotte said there are likely more people in the county who are infected with HIV or suffering from AIDS.

“We may not have the numbers they have in larger areas, but we also don’t have the resources,” Cadotte said. “We believe that just because somebody lives in a rural area doesn’t mean they shouldn’t have access to the services they need to maintain their health.”

Cadotte also pointed to an irony in the budget cuts: They are coming just when social and health services are needed most.   

“At times like this, we’re seeing increased need — people having more difficulty, people who’ve lost jobs, lost insurance, people who are having a hard time getting by,” he said. “I understand we have to make sacrifices, but it’s tragic that so much of the burden is being placed on the poor, disabled and people who are sick.”

The cuts have Cadotte considering seeking help from nonprofit organizations like the Sonora Area Foundation.

“It may be something that can help in the short-term,” he said.

 In the face of cuts to Sierra HOPE’s budget, Cadotte said the various fundraisers his group puts together are now “more important than ever.”

He pointed out that Sierra HOPE has a fundraiser on the horizon — the Sierra AIDS walk on Sept. 19. The event will take place at Big Trees State Park in Calaveras County.

Participants will be able to choose from three trails, and can start the walk anytime between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. The longer participants walk, the more money they can bring in, with the amount raised dependent on the number of pledges each walker has.

For more information on the walk, contact Sierra HOPE at 736-6792.